Review: Platypus Duthie AM 12 Hydration Pack
20 June 2013 | By billy1979A few months back 2 bags from Platypus arrived with us for review. Carl was given the job of putting the 12L Duthie through the mill! See what he has to say!
First Impressions
On first impressions we were impressed with the Duthie. Your getting a lot of bag for your money with an RRP of £75. Included as standard is a large 3L drinks reservoir, More pockets thank you can shake a stick at and really comfortable straps.
The shape of the bag on the whole wasn’t what we were used to seeing normally so we were anxious to see how it would perform on the trails!
On paper it stacks up pretty well to bags from the likes of Evoc that are all almost double the price of the Duthie!
Technology
The Platypus Duthie AM 12 is a 12 litre capacity hydration pack aimed at the all mountain rider who is either in the bikepark or on the mountain side for the whole day.
The Duthie features a narrow profile to aid cooling and ventilation around the back. The capacity of the bag is split between the 3Litre platypus bladder that comes included with the bag and a further 9Litre’s of space for tools, food and all the other essentials required for a day on the hill.
It’s got all the right straps required to attach body armour to the side of the bag as well as acting compression straps on the side of the pack to make sure things are packed nice and snugly inside and don’t bump around or even squeeze down the capacity for shorter rides.
The bag features highly ventilated and almost elasticated straps that make the bag pretty comfortable for a full day in the saddle even when its got a full 12 litre payload inside and a good 3 position waistband that even has a small storage pocket in for easy access of small items such as energy gels or bars.
There are loads of options for routing the hose up to your mouth for the bladder on and around straps that is always a bonus as there’s nothing worse than an ill thought out hose
The Ride
The bag on the whole is really comfortable when riding even when full with your entire portable workshop of tools and food and drink. The straps do a good job of keeping the weight spread comfortably over your shoulders and the 2 foam pieces on the rear of the pack do a good job of keeping airflow moving and keeping the main bulk of the pack away from your back.
Not only does this keep the sweat down it stops that annoying situation when you have an 8mm allen key or mini pump sticking into your back disrupting your flow while your ripping singletrack.
The little pockets have been a real eye opener for us as there’s pretty much a place to keep just about anything. We have really loved the 2 small pockets on the waistband. It’s the perfect location to store energy bars or gels for easy access when riding or racing an enduro. The top pocket is just big enough to keep keys and phones out of harms way and protected out of the way and anything else loose that needs to kept from getting lost goes inside the little net pocket inside the main area.
Whatever your storing there’s probably a pocket for it on the Duthie.
The bags hydration credentials were pretty much the best we’ve seen in a long time. For a start, the bladder is included as standard which is a real bonus. The mechanics of the actual bladder are very good with it being very easy to both fill, drink from and clean. The hose routing was spot on with the ability to choose between left and right being a real highlight for us.
The only slight disappointment we had from the Duthie was the lack of rain cover. The bag itself didn’t ever struggle in the rain but sometimes we like to use the rain cover as a bit more of a mud stopper meaning less cleaning when you get home as its pretty tough to put your rucksack in the washing machine!
The Bottom Line
The Duthie from Platypus is a fantastic option as a hydration pack if the likes of Evoc is slightly out of your price range.
There’s enough pockets to keep even the fussiest rider happy and the included bladder is of fantastic quality and should keep you hydrated out on the trails even for a full day in the saddle!
Comfortable, Practical and brilliant value for money. The Platypus Duthie is an outstanding bag for the full day trail rider on a budget.
